Scientific papers and letters / by A.H. Smee.

  • Smee, A. Hutchison (Alfred Hutchison), 1845-1901.
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Scientific papers and letters / by A.H. Smee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    202/212 page 196
    The Grange, Carshalton, Aitiiust 30tli, 1898. Sir,—Dr. C. Hallen and other Medical Officers of Health have written that the reason why there are no cisterns at the East-end is hecanae the local Sanitary Authorities have condemned them, and have ordered their removal, so that a direct connection with the main might be made, because they hold that cisterns are insanitary for drinking and cooking purposes. They have evidently never seen, or have ignored, the report of Colonel Ducat and Dr. Barry, Inspectors of the Local Government Board, on the East London Water Supply, which was made to the President, the Eight Hon. H. Chaplin, on November 11th, 1895. The following extracts from this report may at the present time be of public interest:— Incidentally we would refer to the advantage to the consumer of having a small storage of water in every house. It was shown that, throughout this scarcity, persons occupying houses provided with cisterns suffered no inconvenience. No doubt ill-designed and badly-placed house cisterns are open to objection from a health point of view ; and nothing could be further from our intention than to advocate any return to the old defective cisterns, with their moveable wooden covers. But we do advocate the provision of properly-designed cisterns. By a properly- designed cistern we mean a cistern which shall be so constructed as to exclude alike the possibility of the entrance of dirt from the atmos- Minho/e phere, and the accumulation of any deposit from the water itself, whilst at the same ^tirae the water in the cistern is under the same pressure as the water in the main itself—in other words, the cistern that would satisfy us is merely a local enlargement of the water-main. Such a cistern is, in our opinion, subject to none of the objections commonly urged against the use of cisterns. Under the best arrangements, there must be times when short periods of interruption of a con- constant service will occur; and at such the want of water for domestic purposes, for flushing water-closets, sealing water-traps, Service]
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